Ireland, John: Hogarth illustrated (Band 3): Variety (London, 1798)

g8 HOGARTH.

that will both entertain and improve the
mind, bid fair to be of the greatest public
utility, and must therefore be entitled to
rank in the highest class. If the execution
is difficult (though that is but a secondary
merit),theauthorhasaclaimtoahigherde-
gree of praise. If this be admitted, comedy,
in painting as well as writing, ought to be
allotted the first place, as most capable of all
these perfections, though the sublime, as it
is called, has been opposed to it. Ocular
demonstration will carry more conviction
to the mind of a sensible man, than all he
would find in a thousand volumes; and
this has been attempted in the prints I have
composed. Let the decision be left to
every unprejudiced eye ; let the figures in
either pictures or prints, be considered as
players dressed either for the sublime,—for
genteel comedy,* or farce,—for high or low

* It has been tjuly observed that comedy exhibits the
character of a species,—farce of an individual. Of the
class in which Hogarth has a right to be placed, there
can be little doubt; be wrote comedies with a pencil.